County Durham voters have chosen overwhelmingly to leave the EU , reflecting the overall Brexit trend across the North East.

This is in spite of the strong Remain force of the Durham University student community.

Voters in Durham chose backed Leave by 153,877 compared to 113,521 votes cast in support of Remain.

A gaggle of Labour MPs, including Durham City’s Roberta Blackman-Woods, and Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, were gathered alongside a smattering of UKIP officials and Leave supporters.

But excited “Vote Leave” supporters gave the result away ahead of the returning officer’s official announcement which was met by cheers from the Brexiteers.

Councillor Neil Foster pronounced Durham’s result “disappointing” after weeks of hard campaigning for the public’s Remain vote. He admitted harbouring the hope that the reality of conditions in County Durham would have convinced the population that the Remain vote was necessary.

He implied the much-needed figure of £129 million due to for County Durham from the EU in the next few years is now in jeopardy.

But he added: “We will have to make sure it still comes to us.”

In contrast, UKIP’s Alan Breeze from Bishop Auckland was encouraged by County Durham’s Out vote, alongside the North East’s overwhelming vote for Brexit.

Calling the referendum “exciting” and “historic times”, he is hopeful that emancipation from the EU will reverse the erosion of UK democracy that he believes the organisation has caused.

MPs, counting staff, police and press alike made a swift beeline for the exits following the official announcement.